


Catch & Release

by Mareel



Series: Always [31]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Canada, Childhood Memories, Destroy Ending, Family, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Mass Effect 3, Romance, kaidanappreciationweek2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-10
Updated: 2015-10-10
Packaged: 2018-04-25 16:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4967491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mareel/pseuds/Mareel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One moment of childhood worth remembering.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Catch & Release

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place approximately eight months after the Reaper War was won. Shepard and Kaidan are spending some time at the orchard in British Columbia. It is Shepard's voice.
> 
>  It was written for Kaidan Appreciation Week 2015 - Day 2: Childhood

 

"So your mom thinks we should go fishing? Can't say as I've ever done that. Did you go fishing on vacations when you were a kid?"

We're talking a walk through the orchard after dinner. This far north, the midsummer daylight lasts until late in the evening. The lengthening shadows make the path look deceptively flat, but I don't even pretend that's why I take Kaidan's hand. I just like holding his hand, feeling connected. 

"Sometimes. Not as much as Mom thinks I did. Dad liked to go camping up in the mountains – to do some hiking, a little fly-fishing on the river there. The hikes were fun, but I never got interested in the fishing. I liked it better when we'd take a beat-up old rowboat out on one of the lakes and fish from there. Well, Dad fished. I mostly read books. The boat rocked a little, but not enough to matter, unless I was fighting a headache."

I smile at the image of that little boy with dark hair and serious eyebrows sitting cross-legged in the middle of a rowboat... reading. 

"What did you like to read?"

Glancing at his face, I catch a trace of embarrassment. "Space adventures, mostly. Some fantasy, I guess."

I don't tease him... my own choice of childhood literature wouldn't stand up to much scrutiny either. "Did you catch any fish?"

"One. I didn't use a fishing line though. I was trailing my hand in the water and a fish brushed against it. Curious maybe. Or confused. It startled me. As it darted away, I just _reached_ for it..."

"With your biotics? That's pretty good control for being young and untrained."

'Yeah. The biotics flared blue and the fish ended up in my hand. I was as startled as it was, probably. I opened my hand and let it go." He pauses. "My dad was... surprised. _'That was amazing, son.'_ He wasn't mad, but he looked at me and his voice got really serious. _'Kaidan, only do that when you're with me or your mother, okay?'_ "

I squeeze his hand as we keep walking. "So it wasn't the first time your biotics were active?"

"No, but it was usually pretty uncontrolled... like if I was angry, things might shake on the bookshelves. I always tried hard not to get angry. It scared people, and I didn't want my parents to send me away."

Dropping his hand, I slide my arm around his waist. "Your mother doesn't seem like she would have let that happen without a fight of her own."

Even after all these years, I can feel him shudder against me. "No, they fought to keep me at home as long as they could. A losing battle in the end, as you know." I feel him taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. "That's history though. I've made my peace with it. I never talked about it much."

We stop walking and I draw him toward me, reaching up to cup my hand behind his head and pull him close enough to kiss. "You can always talk to me about anything, Kaidan. God knows, you've had to deal with enough of my nightmares."

He nods and wraps me close in his arms. We just stand that way together for a few minutes. 

"For what it's worth... I'd love to see you catch a fish with your biotics."

I add Kaidan's shy smile to my memory bank. It makes him look very young. "I'd like to show you, Shepard. We'll find a lake and a rowboat."

"Sounds good to me. Not tonight though. We should go back before it gets too dark to see the path."

"No, not tonight." His voice shifts into low and husky. "I can think of a few other little biotic tricks you might like tonight."

I swear I can almost feel the gentle tingling already, deep inside. "Looking forward to it, Kaidan."

_________________________________

 


End file.
